


The World Is Haunted

by OneHundredSuns



Series: It's All Just Borrowed Time [3]
Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Alive Allison Argent & Vernon Boyd & Erica Reyes, Alpha Derek, Alternate Universe - Zombie Apocalypse, Angst, BAMF Allison, Blood and Gore, Drama, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, End of the World, F/M, Hurt/Comfort, Injury, M/M, Series, Some Humor, Violence, Werewolves, Zombies
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-12-30
Updated: 2014-12-30
Packaged: 2018-03-04 07:31:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,351
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2991953
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/OneHundredSuns/pseuds/OneHundredSuns
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Allison refuses to let anyone else die on her watch. Even if it means jumping from the frying pan directly into the walker infested fire. But if you can't risk your life for those you care about, who can you risk it for?</p><p>Derek/Allison (Teen Wolf) Zombie AU</p>
            </blockquote>





	The World Is Haunted

**Author's Note:**

> Installment number three; I hope you enjoy it. :) Comments are love. <3

The bed dipped as Derek threw his long legs around and sat up, yawning widely and rubbing the sleep from his eyes. Allison blinked slowly at the sight of him hunched over and shirtless, skin still soft and sleep warm. She smiled into her pillow before smoothing a hand up his back, letting her nails scratch between his shoulder blades. A deep rumble of appreciation sounded as he turned to look at her with a ghost of a smile. They’d made it through another night.

Allison loved mornings like this. When everything was still relatively quiet and she knew for a fact they were safe, that nothing could penetrate their walls of concrete and cement. In the time they’d found the prison she’d made her cellblock a bit more homey; adding things to the wall that she’d picked up on runs and using sheets she’d stripped from beds. After cleaning them of course. She even had a cactus plant over in the corner since they didn’t need sunlight to stay alive. At least that’s what she’d heard and hoped was true.

On the wall was a simple circular battery operated clock she’d snagged from some random house, filling the room with a low ticking sound. As far as she could tell it was only nine thirty but Derek hardly ever slept _in_ anymore, always citing things to do or that needed to be done. She figured as long as he wasn’t pushing himself to the limit it was okay though more than once she’d pulled him back into bed for another hour. Or just some much needed cuddling.

But they all tried to use the daylight as much as they could. Even though it was only a small group that hardly made any noise, walkers still found them. Maybe they could just smell it on the air or would have wandered by no matter what. Either way they would go outside to find a few beating against the fences, snarling and growling and trying to chew their way through the metal. At first they hadn’t done anything about it but it became clear killing them before they got too big and too rowdy was the best course of action. Now every day Danny and Wyatt popped as many as they could then carefully ran out to drag the bodies inside the grounds and burn them.

Stretching, she flipped over onto her back and gave a sniff. The faint smell of coffee was in the air so a few of the others were already up. Probably the adults or maybe Stiles since he liked coffee—though he was only allowed one cup. Now that they had a settled place things like coffee were on the list whenever they went on raids. “What are you doing?” She asked around a yawn. “Come back to bed.”

Derek chuckled. “Can’t. I promised Deaton I would help him clear out more ground for those gardens he’s got started on. And then Boyd and I are going to work on some type of duct system to draw water from the lake into a more secure area. Lydia seems to think it’ll work and she’s supervising so I can’t be late.”

Allison made a face and slowly sat up. “You’re going to give me abandonment issues.”

He snorted. “Now you’re just being dramatic. I sleep with you every night. This is _our_ room.”

 _True but…_ “Then why don’t you have anything in it? I mean surely there are some little knick knacks you’ve seen that you have liked when we went out.”

Glancing around, he shrugged. “You saw where I lived before zombies became a reality. I’m a simple sort of guy I guess. But next time something catches my eye I’ll grab it.”

Biting her bottom lip, she shuffled closer and draped herself across his back. “I just want you to feel at home too. Because this is our home now for as long as it’s able to be.”

He nodded. “I know. I’m good.” Gently butting their foreheads together, he stood and slipped on his jeans and boots. “Go back to sleep. You can afford to take a morning off.” He grabbed up a shirt and his jacket before pushing past the sheet they used for privacy—didn’t want to shut the bars just in case of an emergency—and exiting the room.

Sitting in the small nest of blankets, wearing one of his other shirts, Allison huffed and decided she might as well be useful too. She dressed and put her long hair up into a ponytail before making her way down to the showers where she washed her face, brushed her teeth and relieved herself. By the time she was done she could tell that more people were awake; voices floated through the walls and around corners like muffled echoes.

On the main first floor area she found Melissa and Marin cleaning the guns, chatting about nothing particularly important. They both bid her good morning when they saw her with Melissa motioning to a table full of food if she was wanted breakfast. She grabbed a piece of toast and shoved some dry cereal into her mouth before hurrying outside to see what everyone else was doing.

Just as expected Wyatt and Danny were down by the fences with Isaac, stabbing zombies through the slats with sharp objects. The Sheriff, Stiles and Scott were attempting to build…well she honestly wasn’t sure _what_ they were trying to build but she assumed it was to hold some type of animal. They’d found a few pigs and chickens at a deserted farm and put them in the basement until they had a better place. So they were probably working on that better place. Off a little ways to the right were Deaton and Derek with matching shovels, digging at the ground and making dirt piles. Lydia in a heavy coat and gray beanie was giving Jordan Parrish her best _I’m not impressed_ look as he burned dead bodies and flashed her a grin. She was still dealing with Aiden’s death but being grumpy to Parrish seemed to lift her spirits a little and he was the type of guy to let her after hearing what she’d been through.

Spying her dad at the back of Derek’s jeep, she made her way over to see what he was doing. “Morning.”

“Good morning sweetheart.” He said smiling. “I thought you would still be in bed.”

She shrugged. “I thought about it but then decided helping out would probably be the better option. So, what can I do?”

He patted her back. “I’d like to say there is nothing but John made a good point last night. We might have a handle on things right now but eventually we’ll start to run out of supplies. So he suggested hitting as many places in the area as we can before others get to them.” He rubbed at his graying beard. “It—it doesn’t make me feel good to hoard things from other people but I’m practical. I’m willing to do whatever I have to so that those I care about survive.”

Allison kissed his cheek. “You know I understand completely. If you need someone to go out I’ll do it. I’ve missed the last two. As weird as it sounds I kinda wanna stretch my legs.”

He smiled. “Okay.” Pulling a map out the bag in the back, he motioned to a spot he’d circled in bright red marker. “There is a Walmart about ten miles up the road; the military was using the parking lot as a triage base in the early days so there are a lot of tents and things. Last we saw walkers had moved on from it but you should still be on the lookout for some. Especially inside. It’s risky but whatever we could collect would be good.”

Usually they stayed away from big stores as much as they could but since he was actively telling her about one, she figured there was some type of plan in motion. Most likely they’d kept an eye on the place while trying to decide the best time to raid it. And, well, they were sort of seasoned now when it came to dealing with zombies. Not to say that they couldn’t make a stupid mistake but those that went out more than the others trusted in their abilities. In their senses and their friends. Besides as long as a group didn’t box them in there was always a way out.

Especially when you had a werewolf around.

“Okay.” She replied. “I’ll go get my weapons and you can tell whoever wants to go to saddle up in fifteen.”

Chris chuckled. “Have I mentioned how proud I am of you lately?”

She pretended to think. “Oh just every other day.”

Accepting his kiss on her forehead, she jogged back inside for her compound bow and her daggers. Sometimes she was a bit surprised at the relationship she had with her father; how easy it was. After her mother had died and right before the zombies became their major issues, they were both in so much pain and yet it was hard to relate to one another. Allison had wanted to continue school in Beacon Hills but her father really thought staying in Paris was the best option for both of them. He only agreed to return when she promised to not get involved in werewolf affairs. And honestly she had planned to respect his wishes. Life just had another path for them to walk.

Now they were closer than ever. She was glad. Of course if anything happened to him it would be that much harder but she’d be an idiot to see their closeness as anything other than wonderful.

With her hair piled up in a messy bun—now that she could wash it regularly it was much more manageable—she slung a dingy backpack onto her shoulder and walked back outside to Derek’s jeep. There she found Stiles, Scott and Derek waiting for her with weapons of their own.

 _Surprise, surprise._ “Just you three? Doesn’t Boyd want to get in on this?”

“Ah he’s gonna stay behind and help with the water thing.” Stiles explained with a smile. “I’m being made to go against my will.”

She snorted. “How so?”

Scott smirked. “Danny sort of gingerly suggested he go and get some fresh air.”

Stiles pouted. “He’s kicking me out of bed. It’s the equivalent of kicking me out of bed. And he’s supposed to love me—his words not mine. Not that I won’t love him because I do. He’s my Hawaiian delight and I tell him that all the time.”

Allison poked his shoulder. “Well now we know why he’s making you leave.”

Scott laughed and Stiles gawked at her. “Lies! He just—okay so maybe I’m not that good with the violence. I mean this isn’t regular violence. Gerard repeatedly punching me in the face was more normal than this. Danny thinks I need more _hands on_ experience with the dead people. I’d rather have hands on experience with him but…”

Derek arched a brow. “So Danny thinks you need more combat training basically and you’re actually going? Wow.”

Stiles preened. “What can I say? I wanna make my man happy.” A beat. “Can you be whipped with a guy? Is that a thing?”

Snickering, Allison opened the passenger side door of the vehicle and climbed in. “I think so. Erica would say if the sex is good you can be whipped by anything.”

Derek rolled his eyes as he got in. “She would. Considering her and Boyd have only been with each other that statement rings a little false. At least coming from her.”

She bit her bottom lip. “Even virgins know good sex when they are having it. They know what feels good.”

Stiles’ head poked between the two front seats. “True. I know having someone else touch me is better than when I used to touch myself.”

Derek’s face was blank but his eyes said _I will hit you_ when he turned to look at Stiles. “Shut up.”

Stiles shrugged. “Just offering an opinion. It’s not like I’m asking Allison who’s the better werewolf when it comes to the bow chica bow wow.”

Derek huffed. “Yeah and that’s because you know if you do I’ll reacquaint your head with my steering wheel.”

Scott put a hand on Stiles’ shoulder. “I don’t wanna know the answer to that question anyway in case I’m the loser.”

Allison turned her face to the window, unable to hide her grin. “We should be going. Got more to do here to make this place safe than we do out on the road.”

Starting up the engine and giving her thigh a cheeky squeeze, Derek drove down to the end of the lane where the entrance was. Boyd met them on foot and opened the gates, letting them pass through with a wave before chaining it back into place. And just like that they were on the road, rolling over scattered leaves and dodging fallen branches. Without the road crews to come along and trim the bushes everything had quickly became overgrown. The cold made them pale and faded and cracked; letting them know it was close to winter or perhaps already winter. As if the frigid chill wasn’t enough to clue in.

Gerard’s crap had the weather fucked up and honestly Allison didn’t know if it would ever get back on track. They were in an area where real seasons happened but she couldn’t help feeling it was a lot colder than it was supposed to be. There’d been snow flurries a few days ago, big and white as they swirled down from the sky. She’d wanted to huddle in front of a fireplace with hot cocoa but instead she’d used Derek has a space heater and listened as he’d told her about his life before the fire. About his parents and his other siblings. How his middle name was his dad’s first name and how his mom was the type of Alpha everyone respected.

The type of Alpha he hoped to be if it ever came to that, though he’d been fine as a Beta. At least until Peter showed up and fucked everything up.

For so long he hadn’t led his pack the way he’d wanted. He’d pushed Boyd, Isaac and Erica to the limit because he’d been worried about _others_. (What or who they were, he didn’t go into detail on.) Derek hated the way the world was now but it was clear he appreciated the clarity it had given him. Whatever odd bit it was.

She could appreciate it too though if it came down to a normal world or being a better hunter, she’d pick a normal world.

“Hey, Walmart has like seeds right? Like for fruit and stuff?” Scott inquired. “We could grab some and plant them. And maybe some flowers too, just because.”

Allison pulled on her fingerless gloves. “I think they have all that stuff in the garden center. It’s not essential but if you see a clean path to grab it, you’re welcome.”

His face lit up like it was wont to do. “Great! Because I was thinking you know fruit never goes out of style. Wait…it gets rotten but we’d eat it before that happens. Mom says something natural would help our immune systems.”

 _You mean the human immune systems._ “I’ll love you forever then if you find strawberry seeds.” She slouched. “I worry about people getting sick. With the way the weather is and shit in general… Hell the flu could be a super flu by now.”

Stiles groaned. “One hundred ways to die in the zombie apocalypse. And blue balls is not one of them, go figure.”

Rubbing at her eyes, Allison spied a couple of walkers as they traipsed out of the woods to immediately follow behind the jeep. They might even end up catching them if they lingered for too long. “I think we all know how we’re gonna die and it’s not of old age.”

Scott frowned. “You don’t know that. We’ve been doing alright so far.”

 _Luck or a higher power? Who knows._ “I hope you are right. I think it’s just easier however to be honest. We’re living in a seriously fucked up situation. We’re out numbered and in the position where one bite could be the end.”

Scott touched her arm. “Yeah but there is always hope, Allison. I have to believe that.”

And that was Scott in a nutshell, wanting to save everyone and believe the best. But they needed people like him for when morale was extremely low. It would probably be annoying but in the end it was always sort of what they needed to hear. His puppy dog message of hope.

About ten minutes later they were pulling into the Walmart parking lot, parking close but far enough away for room to run. There were indeed green army tents, some frayed and some falling over. A tank sat off by itself with a decaying body draped out of the top, crows pecking at the little that was left. It was strange how vacant and quiet everything was. There should be people around shopping and moving continuously through the parking lot.

There should be _people_.

Climbing out of the jeep, Allison reached for her bow and glanced at the others. There was an unspoken rule to be careful and not dally which they all tried to heed. There steps were in sync as they made their way up to the front doors; Derek prying them open and using the top of a candy machine to keep it to its side. Very slowly the foursome trekked inside, the wolves listening carefully to see if they heard anything unusual. When nothing jumped out or trudged around a corner, they grabbed a cart each and started their missions.

Stiles took the canned food aisle while Scott sneaked over for his seeds. Derek headed for jugs and bottles of water and Allison moved to the pharmacy. It was dark inside or at least fairly dim enough that they needed their flashlights, the humans anyway.

She attempted to be as quiet as she could, putting bottles of over the counter meds into her basket and bandages. She picked up vitamins, energy bars, eye drops and things for an upset stomach. You never really realized what you needed until you couldn’t get it anymore.

Peeping around the corner, she dumped in as many tampon and pad boxes as she could. Shampoo and toothpaste came next, along with deodorant and razors. She stopped in front of the pregnancy tests and stared at them, chewing on the inside of her cheek. With a sigh she dumped a few in and then picked the lock so that she could get into the actual pharmacy area. Once there she reached for whatever she could—they’d figure out what did what later.

By the time her cart was full and she was going back to the jeep to throw it all in, she met up with Scott who loading up his haul. He’d got a few bags however to throw it in. “Did you find your seeds?” She asked.

“I did.” He replied happily. “I’m not even sure of what all I got but I know a few make vegetables. I also got some stuff to dig with and gardening gloves. And fertilizer.”

She nodded. “Cool. Did you see the others?”

Scott smoothed a hand across his forehead. “Yeah Derek was getting like, motor oil and stuff. Stiles wanted chips. I bet they are stale though.”

Allison chuckled. “Stale chips tend to be better than no chips these days.” Pause. “Can you put this stuff in for me? I wanna go help.”

“Sure.” 

Cracking her knuckles, she ran back inside, ducking down aisle and avoiding the meat section until she caught sight of Stiles’ red coat disappearing towards the toilet paper. _Makes sense_. She made a few steps to go help when suddenly a low groan pierced the otherwise silent atmosphere. Her bow was loaded before she even realized it and then she slowly edged around a shelf to hopefully get the jump on the zombie. It most likely would have worked had several others not came trudging out of the back where the stock was kept; at least ten. There would be more because there was always more.

Cursing, she made a beeline for the direction Stiles had went only to hear him yelp as five more walkers busted out of a side door where layaways were placed. She watched him skid to a stop, bat in hand before swinging out and hitting an old looking man in the head. It was enough force to drop him but not enough to kill him, and it was clear that would most likely be the case of many. _Maybe now he’ll switch to sharper things_.

Allison pointed at a lady in a faded tattered coat and fired, hitting her right in the eye with a bloody splatter. Stiles yanked out the arrow and used it to stab the next zombie that lunged for him, nearly tripping as he did.

“Stiles!” She yelled. “Head for the pots and pans! You can get out through the garden center!”

It happened fast; Stiles getting as far as the lamps before he was careening into them hard and falling even harder to the slick floor. Allison heard the sickening crack before he shouted and she just _knew_ he was in real trouble. The dead had followed him as if sensing he was injured so she doubled back and ended up in the next aisle over. She could barely see him through the slats, feet scuffing as he tried to scramble away from the reaching blood crusted hands.

Reacting first, she threw herself against the metal shelf with all the strength she had and sent it tumbling over with a loud creak onto the zombies. It crushed them and pinned them into place; some exploding from the force and the state of their decay. Stiles just managed to get out of the way, his feet kicking out in terror when one tried to latch onto his ankle. Allison grabbed him under the shoulders and heaved him up, noticing how big and purplish his wrist looked. It had to be broken.

Still she threw his other arm around her neck and all but pulled him towards the front of the store. “You’re okay. Everything is going to be okay.”

He grunted in pain, looking back to the walkers following them. “I—I thought it was clear. It was clear.”

She shook her head. “Don’t worry about it. You’ll be fine. Melissa will patch you up and you’ll be fine.”

“My wrist is broken.”

“And I’ve been stabbed. It’s everything goes these days.”

They made it to the front just in time to see three walkers at the door they’d pried open. Allison made to kill them but Stiles wouldn’t loosen his grip on her upper arm. Together they scuttled back towards a large window—to the left was a Subway, to the right outside. She shoved her bow into Stiles’ good hand and grabbed the heaviest object she could reach, throwing it with all she had at the window. It shattered in a wave of glass like raindrops and she tugged Stiles through without giving it much thought. His sneaker caught on the rim and as he fell so did she, twisting so that he landed on her instead of the rough pavement.

It hurt—he wasn’t light by any means—but she bore it. She ignored the shards digging into her back and the back of her head that bounced. Making sure that Stiles was okay was her first priority especially since the zombies were clamoring and trying to follow them.

And then Stiles’ weight was gone and Scott was helping him stand, holding his face between his shaking hands. “Oh my god, what happened?! Your wrist…”

Allison was jerked to her feet roughly by Derek, a bag of something in his left hand. “We need to move. Now.”

They didn’t try to kill anything else, they just ran. Back to Derek’s jeep and inside, bursting out of the parking lot as quick as they could.

=-=

Allison was towel drying her hair and heading back to her cell when she heard the soft voices of Stiles and Danny nearby. She didn’t want to snoop but her curiosity got the best of her. Not to mention it was easier to just wait a few and let them hash it out since they were in the zone. She knew how that was.

Stiles look exhausted, his wrist in a cast thanks to Melissa and an unusual paleness to his skin. He was sitting on his butt against the wall, head resting on Danny’s shoulder. “This wasn’t your fault.”

Danny scoffed. “I’m the one who told you to go. You never would have been out there if it wasn’t for me.”

Stiles smiled. “Hey, I went because I wanted to. Contrary to popular belief you can’t make me do what I don’t want. My dad can’t even do that.”

“I’m _so_ sorry.” Danny whispered. “God Stiles, if anything else had happened to you I never would have forgiven myself. If you had _died_? Fuck.”

“I’m okay. Allison saved my bacon.” He entwined their fingers together. “It was rough but I—I survived. Not a lot of other people can say that. I like that I can.”

“Next time I’m going with you.” Danny caressed his cheek. “I’m gonna watch your back. I’m not gonna let anything happen to you.”

“Well I’m gonna be sitting out runs for a few.” Stiles admitted with a snicker. “But if you want to coddle me for a while that would be okay. I wanna be coddled.”

His boyfriend rolled his eyes playfully. “I always coddle you. I love you.”

Stiles blushed and glanced down. “I—heh—I love you too. I don’t know why you love me or decided to go for me, I mean besides pickings being slim considering but—”

Danny kissed him softly. “No. Zombies might have opened my eyes but you were never like, a last ditch effort. I’d rather be alone than with someone I don’t click with, even now. We _click_ , Stiles.”

They got quiet and when Allison chanced a look she saw it was because they were kissing. It was obvious that it was headed to someplace heated, so instead of interrupting them or listening she took the long way round to finally make it back to her cell.

She collapsed onto her bed with a moan and dug in her bag for Advil, taking two with a bottle of water. The sheet covering the entrance swung and she looked up as Derek walked in. “Hey.”

He sat down behind her. “Take your shirt off.”

Instead of questioning him, she did as requested and turned her back to him. She knew what he was seeing; the dark purpling bruises that dotted her skin and the torn whelps where the glass had dug in. It looked worse than it was but she was still quite sore and a few of the scratches had bled. With a pillow against her chest, she rested her chin to her knee and sighed as Derek started a truly wonderful massage.

“You did good today.” He said, long fingers rubbing her neck. 

“Thanks.” She pulled her hair over her shoulder. “The Sheriff hugged me when Stiles told him what happened. Maybe it was dumb but, I refused to lose anyone else. I’d rather get hurt saving someone I care about than watch them die.”

Derek hummed. “I understand. And as much as Stiles gets on my nerves I probably would have tried to save him too. I just wish you hadn’t gotten hurt in the process.”

“It’s not that bad.” She yawned. “Besides the longer I stay alive the more scars I’ll end up with. If they are all I get then I’m doing something good.”

“Perhaps but you should treat your body better than I used to treat mine.” He said matter of fact. “Since you don’t have super healing.”

She stuck her tongue out at him. “I know I know. Tomorrow I’m definitely sleeping in though. I think I’ve earned it.”

Brushing a hand across her back, he showed her a black marker and then started to draw between her shoulder blades. She couldn’t see what he was doing but she could tell by the pattern what it was. “I feel like I’ve graduated or something; getting my very on triskele. Make sure it’s not crooked.”

He smirked. “Don’t worry it won’t be.”

“Hey Derek?”

“Hey, what?”

“I love you.”

“…love you too.”

Allison shivered. “I know it’s not something we say out loud but I just wanted to. I might start doing it more and it doesn’t mean you have to say it back. I know.”

She felt his lips press a kiss against her ear. “Okay.”

When he was done using her as a canvas, she slipped her shirt back on and snuggled under the covers. It was chilly but her blankets were heavy and as expected Derek kicked off his shoes and crawled under with her. He was a warm and solid presence emanating protection so she let it lull her to sleep.

=-=

“I wonder if we have the right days?” Lydia inquired apropos of nothing the next day. “We think it’s a Wednesday but it could be Saturday for all we know.”

“It might be Saturday for some people out there.” Allison replied. “But it’s Wednesday for us.”

There were no benches outside to sit on so they were bundled inside of a small tent with the flap open, peering out at some of the guys building a pig pen out of sturdy branches and planks of wood they’d stolen. Lydia was a human burrito but she appeared healthy and not as somber as before. She was actively helping with what tasks she could, currently working on plans to get the water inside the fences without always having to go out or carry a bucket. So far she’d suggested some type of pulley system with a hose and pedals since the ducts were bound to be too complicated.

It kept her busy but let her contribute and that really meant something for her mental and emotional health.

“Remember when I was just the most fashionable popular girl there was?” Lydia murmured, nose red. “I’d spend hours on my hair and makeup every morning to look perfect. Sometimes Jackson didn’t even notice but I saw others paying attention and it made me feel powerful. I miss that feeling. I miss the easiness of fretting over what to wear and being upset when I couldn’t find shoes to match.” She bit her bottom lip. “But you know I think I was more alone then than I’ve ever been. The world is dead and yet I have amazing family around me. I miss my parents of course but…I suppose it’s just different. I—I never knew I was this strong. I never knew I could lo—lose a hand and yet still wake up every morning.”

“You’re a warrior.” Allison smiled at her. “And maybe we can make you a hand. Or at least steal one from a mannequin to give you something else to grab with.”

Her friend laughed. “Or I could get a hook. I could kill walkers with it.”

Allison giggled. “We could make you a whole set of walker killing stuff. An arrow, a knife, a machete—you could be like a comic book hero.”

Lydia grinned, all dimples. “Okay that does sound interesting, as long as I don’t have those gigantic weird breasts.”

“Well you’re not exactly flat chested. They’d just be drawing you as is. Now me? Me they could give the giant boobs too.”

“No you’d have the ridiculously long legs that stretched open a mile. And a perky butt.”

Both girls laughed and Allison tucked the ends of her scarf into her jacket. She crawled out of the tent and used an old bowl to dig a hole before grabbing a few loose sticks and dumping them in. From those she made a decent fire using her dad’s lighter. It was small but it put off enough heat to chase away a bit of the chill.

“Here.” Lydia threw down two pillows, one for each of them to sit on. “So, things between you and Derek are good? They seem good.”

Allison nodded. “Yeah they are. It’s almost normal—our relationship I mean. Even though we’re technically living together and my dad is okay with it. But he hasn’t gotten sulky over my age or anything like that in a long time. I’d almost guess he’s…happy. Or as happy as anyone can be these days.”

Rubbing the end of her nose, Lydia sighed. “I wanna be happier I just don’t know how to get there. Losing Aiden reminded me that any one of us could be next. _Stiles_ could have died on that run.”

 _He could have but he didn’t and that’s important._ “We live in a dangerous time now but every day we survive because we’re smart and capable. I mean I’m still freaked out and nervous but we have to live. The alternative? Leaving my dad to fend alone? I’ll never willingly give up and do that to him. To any of you.”

Lydia didn’t reply but Allison got the feeling that she agreed. That even though she was obviously down and questioning her place in their new world, it didn’t mean she would just give up or give in. That’s not who they were. That’s not who they would ever be. The hardest thing to do—harder than going on runs or finding shelter—was living. It was just waking up every day and continuing to give a damn.

They were quiet for a little bit and then Jordan made his way over, clothes stained with dirt and soot. He could have left, struck out on his own to check for family or whatever but in the end he’d decided against it. Figured they were already gone as sad as it sounded but it wasn’t like he was wrong. So instead he helped to make the jail livable again, continuing to prove that he was a good guy. In the dark part or her mind Allison couldn’t help but feel like they’d traded Aiden for him. She’d never say as much out loud though.

Still it made her wonder if they were all as replaceable.

“Guess we’ll be burning bodies every day. Or every other day.” He said idly. “I was thinking, we should build a pit for it. Then we could just toss ‘em in and light a match.”

“Sounds good.” Allison smiled at him. “Bring it up and get some helpers so you won’t have to do it yourself.”

He chuckled. “You gonna supervise, Lydia?”

Lydia arched a brow but there was no hostility in her expression. “I suppose I should so that you do it right.” She gave an exaggerated sigh and stood. “C’mon let’s go get Boyd to help. He’ll dig twice as fast as you.”

Jordan gestured for her to lead the way. “Yes ma’am.”

As they walked away, Allison smiled. _I’m glad Lydia has someone to be snippy with. It obviously helps,_ she thought to herself. _And we have to hold onto the little things now as tight as we can._

Stretching, she winced and smoothed her knuckles down along her back. The bruises made her stiff but she figured moving around was better than just sitting. So she snuffed out her little fire and got up, making her way over to a part of the fence to help Erica stab walkers through it. Several links had been cut yet tied back together for easy access to the outside.

Allison motioned to the fence. “Is someone out there? In the woods I mean.”

Erica scratched at her cheek, smudging it with blood. “Derek went out to check the traps. He said he might do a little hunting if nothing got caught.”

Exhaling deeply, she went about unwiring the fence. “I’m gonna go out and help. And don’t worry I’ll be careful.”

Erica smirked. “Take the machete.” 

Grabbing it up, Allison waited until the few zombies near them were dead and then slipped out, quickly ducking down and running into the cover of the woods. She was as quiet as she could be, eyes wide and clear as she dipped around trees and bushes towards their snares. Catching animals was usually the easy part; the hard part was getting to them before walkers did. They couldn’t (and didn’t want) to eat tainted meat.

The group ate dinner together every night with the tables all pushed together where they talked about the old days and more ways to thrive in their new home. And then they migrated off to their own devices whether that was reading in the library or helping to clean up. Sometimes just walking around and rummaging in other cells passed the time. The days of television were gone but you could play hand held video games if you happened to have one. And if you could keep it charged. It seemed those little distractions were things they looked for when food and medicine weren’t on the list. Stiles wanted a Nintendo DS and found it very depressing that the few computers in the library flashed an error where the Internet was concerned.

Allison however usually used her free time just being with Derek. Curling up on their bed with her ear against his chest; the sound of his voice as he read aloud a deep purr in the otherwise quiet room. Or they would lay in silence with his fingers playing with her hair. What they did didn’t matter so much as the peace that allowed them to be mellow. Still for a change.

Upon reaching the traps, she took down the sack hanging from a tree and shoved the animals they had bagged into it. Small things like rabbits and gophers. For the record she hated that they had to eat the cute ones.

It was quiet, almost peaceful with a false sense of calm in the air. Yet there was the faint smell of oddness on the breeze and the absence of birds except on very high branches.

From the scuffed pattern of dirt and leaves she was able to track Derek for a little ways, stopping when she came to a pile of clothes lying on the ground. She arched a brow and was about to pick them up when a twig snapped, causing her to jerk around, machete at the ready. But it wasn’t a walker about to pounce on her. Instead it was a large black wolf with a streak of silver between its ears…and the body of a deer between its large jaws.

Lowering her weapon, Allison smiled. “Nice.” Pulling down her beanie so it covered her ears, she watched him. “And before you get all weird I’m being careful. Besides if you’re quiet you can get away with being out here. Most zombies migrate to the fences anyway, unfortunately.”

Wolf Derek snorted and dropped the deer, shaking like a wet dog except there was no water. He stalked over to her and head butted her stomach, eyes red but surprisingly calm. She ran her fingers through his fur and scratched behind his ears, happy that he didn’t seem to mind. He did manage to look a little annoyed however but she knew it was just for show. _He’s probably trying so hard not to wag his tail, heh._

His fur was surprisingly soft and up close he was big. Solid. Comforting.

“You know Derek; if you ever need to be a wolf at the jail it’s cool. You can lounge in our cell like this. I won’t mind.” She told him. “I don’t think anyone would to be honest.”

Derek’s shoulders shifted and his coat rippled, the fur giving way to smooth skin as he grew up and up until he was human again. “We’ll see. I’ll think about it.” And then he was getting dressed. “Didn’t see many walkers while I was hunting. I think if we could manage to mask our scents we might be able to go without seeing any for long periods of time. Unless you know they happened to see us and follow us back here.”

She yawned as he hoisted the deer up into his arms. “That would be amazing.”

They made their way back to the prison in relative silence but it was comfortable and practical. When Erica noticed them she hit at the fence links and led the walkers down a little ways so that they could slip back through without incident. Derek headed across the field up towards the prison while Allison stayed to help Erica, using a fire poker to stick and stab.

“Aw no sex in the woods?” The blonde teased.

Allison stuck her tongue out at her. “Yes that is exactly what we needed. To get bit on the ass by a zombie.” Shaking her head, she stared at a walker with straggly red hair and one missing eye before thrusting the poker through its head. “I think Derek and I are in that comfortable phase in our relationship. You know it’s supposed to come after the honeymoon phase, though I’m not sure we actually _had_ a honeymoon phase. Especially since this whole thing started as a high on life screw in a car.”

Erica hummed. “Boyd and I started as a offshoot of Scott not wanting me. I still question his eyesight.” She winked. “It doesn’t matter so much—how things begin unless they are full of lies and stuff. We all seem to be happy with someone who has our backs. Leave the grand romances to the rich people.”

“What if there aren’t any rich people left?”

“There are. There always are.”

With the discovery of Parrish and his ill fated friend that met a sticky end, Allison often thought about the _other people_ that were out there. The assholes like the ones who killed Aiden and the kindhearted like Earl and his farm. There used to be so much variety in the world and now there were just select groups. It was scary how easier a good guy to turn into a raging, raping asshole just because there were no more rules. She fully supported doing what you had to do to _protect_ those you loved, but preying on the weak was just malicious. People like that probably had it in them and simmering below the surface long before zombies came a thing. It was why they’d made a conscious decision to not let anyone join them, at least not for right now.

That was hard because anyone decent would want to be _that_ person. They would want to be able to extend a helping hand to someone in need. But these days it was hard to know who was in need and who was just pretending so they could take what you had. It happened and sometimes quite joyously.

Sure they had a slight edge because of the werewolves but Aiden was proof that didn’t solve everything.

Allison felt they were lucky in a way; so far they hadn’t come across people needing help so they hadn’t had to make the hard decisions yet. But they would. One day.

One day their morals would truly be tested. In a world where turning people away was now considered the right thing to do, she shuddered to think what that meant for their souls. If they even still had any.


End file.
